Ice making machine



v- A. DAVIS E MAKING MACHINE Filed y 195 VIRGEL A. DAVIS INVENTOR,

. A TTORNE Y United States Patent 2,943,461 rcu MAKING MACHINE Virgel A. Davis, 2005 W. Lotus, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed July 5, 1955, Ser. No. 519,713

2 Claims. (Cl. 62--354) This invention relates to ice makers capable of continuously ejecting pieces of ice during their operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the described class which will eject all of the ice made, thus preventing clogging or jamming ice in the water chamber or the ejector passage.

Another object is to provide an automatic ice making machine capable of preventing an accumulation of ice on the rotor which is in continuous operation while ice is being made.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scraper or tooth arrangement on the rotor of the invention, and which scraper arrangement, in conjunction with the ejector mechanism, is capable of breaking the ice made into substantially uniform chunks.

A particular object is to provide an automatic ice making machine of the described class including a flood type evaporator and whereby twice as much ice may be made during a period of time as compared with ice makers having conventional coil type evaporators.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of an ice maker embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a broken perspective view of the invention and showing a schematic arrangement of a refrigeration system connected therewith.

Referring to the drawing, a cylindrical evaporator is supported at the ends thereof by vertical plates 11 having lateral extensions 12 for supporting mechanism to be described. The evaporator 10 is provided with an ejector or delivery opening 13 in the upper length thereof and which opening is provided with a cover 14 which extends laterally toward the extending ends 12 of the end plates 11.

The evaporator 10 is comprised of inner and outer cylindrical walls 15 and 16 spaced to provide a refrigerant chamber 17 therebetween. The upper ends of the last referred to chamber 17 are provided with longitudinal closures 18 and 19 on each side of the delivery opening 13, and which closures are angularly disposed upwardly and toward the laterally extending end of the cover 14.

A cylindrical rotor 20 is axially mounted within the inner cylindrical wall 15 of the evaporator 10 and is spaced therefrom to provide a water or freezing chamber 21. The evaporator 10 includes closed ends 22 and through which a shaft 23 supporting the rotor 20 extends. The shaft 23 is connected with a coupling 24 which, in turn, is connected with a reduction gear box 25 including a projecting drive shaft 26 supplying power for rotating said rotor.

Substantially triangular scrapers or teeth 27 project from opposite sides of the rotor 10 and are in staggered arrangement relative to each other. The scrapers 27 are of uniform width and the spaces therebetween are also of the same width. The tapered surfaces of the substantially triangular scrapers 27 are forwardly and rear- 2,943,461 Patented July 5, 1960 wardly positioned relative to the direction of rotation of the rotor 20, as shown in Figure 1. Projecting ends 28 touch or nearly touch the inner surface of the inner evaporator wall 15 where the ice 29 is formed.

A substantially horizontal ejector plate 30 is pivotally mounted on the end plates 11 by means of ears 31 on the lower end surface of said plate and by means of pins 32 passing therethrough and supported by said end plates. The ejector plate, inwardly of its pivot, is downwardly formed, as at 33, to make sliding contact with the surface of the rotor 20 and the scrapers 27. The downwardly formed portion or bend 33 is designed to scrape the teeth 27 on both the forward and rearward sides thereof as the rotor 20 is turned. Also, the bend 33 tilts and breaks the ice 29 as the same rises on the ejector plate 30, and the continuous rotation of the rotor and the last referred to action forces the ice outwardly across said plate. A portion of the plate 34 extends beyond the supporting pivot pins 32 and thus provides a surface for dispensing the ice 29 made by the machine. The inner edge of the ejector plate 30 is maintained against the rotor 2t) and scrapers 27 by means of a coil spring 35 mounted on pins 36. One end of each spring bears against the lower outer surface of the ejector plate 30 and the remaining end of which is connected with another pin 37 spaced from the first said pin for maintaining said spring in its described position.

The refrigeration system schematically shown in Figure 2 includes a compresser 38, a condensor 39 and a supply line 40 which is connected with the refrigerant chamber 17 in the lower portion thereof by means of a fitting 41. Other fittings 42 are connected with the upper portion of the refrigerant chamber 17 at each end thereof and, in turn, are connected with the suction line 43 which is connected with a return line 44 extending to the compressor 38. A water inlet 45 is provided in one of the evaporator ends 22 above the water level thereof, and which inlet is connected with a water supply line 46 having a water level control 47 connected therein. It is to be understood that the housing 48 fragmentarily shown in Figure 2 extends over the cover 14 and along the sides of the evaporator 10, although not shown in detail in the drawings. The housing 48 encloses insulating material 49.

In operation, water is provided in the water chamber 21 to a level just below the inlet 45, and the rotor is turned in a direction as indicated by the arrow shown in Figure 1. By reason of the chamber of flood type evaporator described, ice forms on the entire surface of the inner wall 15, and as the rotor turns the ice is turned and lifted on the depending inner edge 33 of the ejector plate 30. The operation last refer-red to breaks the ice and the additional ice being raised pushes the broken ice 29 outwardly across said plate. The thickness of the ice 29 may be determined by the rate of rotation of the rotor 20. If desired the rotor 20 may be stopped for a period of time to allow all of the water in the chamber 21 to freeze and form thick ice. If the latter operation is selected, the system may be recycled to free the ice from the inner wall 15 and the rotor then actuated to move the ice outwardly in the above described manner.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ice making machine, the combination of an evaporator having a horizontal cylindrical inner wall and having an ice discharge opening in the top and extending the length of said cylinder and said inner wall, a cylindrical rotor axially mounted in said evaporator and spaced from the inner wall thereof, horizontal rigid scrapers projecting from said rotor and extending to said inner wall of said evaporator, said scrapers having tapered References Cited in the file of this patent grrwarctl anclfrzardoigtfr surfgces deiigfid by the giigectitcgn UNITED STATES PATENTS r0 aion a1 r or, an a pivo y moune 16C r plate extending into and outwardly of said ice discharge Z Albertson 7 opening, one side edge of said ejector platebeing in 5 gg g Tllylor 1937 sliding contact with said rotor and said scrapers. Field 1937 2; In an ice making machine as defined in claim 1, the 2214312 Stovau Sept 1940 construction wherein said horizontal scrapers are com- 2344'922 Raver 1944 prised of horizontal rows of teeth, said rows of teeth being 2,538,097 Hfmderson 161 1951 spaced 180 circumferentially on said rotor, the teeth of 10 215971515 Nltsch May 1952 one row being staggered with respect to the other row so 2,713,474 Read y 1955 that each row of teeth pass over an area of said inner wall 3 M06 Apr. 2, 1957 or said evaporator difierent from that of the other row. 

